I hate the blogs that start out “Sorry I have been so busy so I missed posting.” So I won’t say that. What I will say is that I have taken a new job in RL, my kid started school, the dog ate some grapes (who knew they were dangerous?), etc etc. Time doth flit!

The SOS Festival is almost over, and I wanted to make a personal remark on their charity of choice. I agreed to be the blogger liaison for the Festival because Doctors Without Borders/Medicines Sans Frontieres is such an important organization in many ways. They bring medical aid to areas where it’s most needed—places like Syria and Afghanistan, yes, but also places like Cote d’Ivoire, Italy, Haiti, and North Korea. The concept of “without borders” is the idea that the organization and medical workers make no decisions about politics, religion, gender, ethnicity—their service is neutral and impartial and not supported financially by any state actors.

A friend of mine in SL was a nurse who had done missions for Medicines Sans Frontieres several times. His latest assignment was in Mauritania, a country he described as almost middle ages in its technology and society. He was there simply to provide vaccines to children and adults—a pretty benign task. However, he had to have guards with him at all times to ensure his safety. In order to volunteer, he needed to obtain time off from his employer—a large European medical hospital—and since he was head of his department—a very large ICU–he needed to make sure things were in place during his absence. Therefore, his volunteered time involved a complicated set of negotiations as well as his own safety—all to make sure children and adults got shots we routinely get at checkup in the West.

I think it’s important to consider the people being helped, of course. But also imagine the many medical workers who volunteer for these positions and they time they donate. When you donate, you are giving money to help organize and provide supplies for these doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel. They are giving their very valuable time. It’s so little for us to purchase a pretty dress to supply them with the medications, supplies and logistics they need to help people.

When I became liaison, I asked the SOS organizers quite pointedly how they were managing the donations they received for this fund raiser. I get a little nervous about donations going through grid citizens as they can potentially be misappropriated in so many ways and I want to know my full donation is going directly to the organization. I was assured that monies were going directly to Doctors without Borders, and indeed, I spoke to the liaison they have at the New York office of Doctors Without Borders. (On Skype—the real person!) He was enthusiastic about the fund raiser and pretty stoked to have his avatar dressed up by the ladies organizing the event. Know this: the money is going DIRECTLY to Doctors Without Borders without any intervention except the cost to cash out via Lindex. No one is claiming a tax deduction, skimming an amount for their services or otherwise touching the donations. The designers’ vendors flip donations immediately over to the MSF avatar, which is solely controlled by the liaison in New York. You can’t get much cleaner than that.

When I saw the dress Alaska Metropolitan had made for the SOS Festival, I was pretty impressed. All monies collected for the sale of this dress (in several color ways including a special one-off auction dress) are being given directly to Doctors Without Borders. That’s a mighty big sacrifice on Alaska’s part because this dress is a sexy-classic mesh piece and great fitting on many body types. It’s the kind of dress that every girl should have in her inventory as it’s sexy, fashionable, and practical all at once. Wear it around the grid, wear it dancing, wear it to a date—it makes the grade. Thanks, Alaska, for this awesome donation!

I was able to match it up with sexy shoes by Celena Galli for Shiny Shabby that include a versatile HUD that let me color portions of the shoe to my liking so I could match them perfectly to the dress. AvaGardner Kungler is offering another of her exquisite jewelry pieces at Shiny Shabby this month, a necklace with dangling gems.

My applier is one of Inka Mexicola’s looks for her gacha at Kustom 9. I love the brows, which are fuller, and the expressive eye makeup. I admit I tinted up the pink lipstick a little more using the HUD for the Catwa Destiny head, and I used the hairbase as well so I had a nice line with my ponytail from Liza Broono for this month’s Hairology.

I went over to the West of the Rain for a cool summer day scene with poses from Katya Valeska for Shiny Shabby. I started with a new top from Doc Eldritch that includes some fabulous colors and a beautiful texture. Doc makes all his mesh from scratch and custom fits it to mesh bodies so it’s perfect every time. I paired it with shorts I got from Kinu Mayako at Thrift Shop that includes a HUD to allow different parts of the shorts to be switched out. Criss-crossed platforms from Darling Monday’s sale make this a sexy casual look.

A trip to Shiny Shabby will also make you a cool girl. Start with Umazuma Metaluna’s gorgeous skin from Shiny Shabby, an applier for Catwa heads, which I am showing on the Destiny head. With gorgeous eyes from Lilanachristina and a unique necklace set from Aikeo Reiko for Shiny Shabby, the look is fabulous. I love the smooth long look from Vivienmarli for Shiny Shabby as well, a simple and easy ‘do for a casual freedom.

“It is a great mistake for men to give up paying compliments, for when they give up saying what is charming, they give up thinking what is charming.” ~ Oscar Wilde

I don’t hand out compliments thoughtlessly. I hate coming off as a sycophant or as insincere. I think most folks get that when I say something complimentary, I mean it. (It’s a Midwestern thing.) That being said, I got the lucky chance to be a blogger for the Mesh Body Addicts Fair, and I have been trying to show a few things that have come through for the event. I didn’t get the full import of the event, however, until I got a preview. I really have to compliment the organizers (mainly LilDaria, the owner of the Mesh Body Addicts blog, and Ravenwings). The layout is shopping friendly without a lot of silly décor, walls, paths or other obstacles. The designers are allowed to have more than just an exclusive piece, so there is lots of shopping fun. And the line-up is freakin’ fantastic with such big hitters as Maitreya, Belleza, Catwa, Blueberry, and others participating. Even better, there are some newcomers and lesser-known names joining in, and that’s what makes it so exciting. For once it seems like no one was excluded for any other reason than they don’t do original stuff for mesh bodies. It doesn’t feel cliquey, it’s professional, and it seems everyone has put their best (mesh) foot forward with every single store filled. No small feat. Well done!

Exciting news out of Belleza too, as Tricky Boucher has released an update to the Belleza bodies with a redesigned HUD, an alternate body that takes down the graphic resources used (called Lite), and several new rigging and body part updates that make this body sleeker and better (including a seemingly seamless neck). Most importantly, the body is an UPDATE, which means no additional cost accrues to those who already own the body. That’s a big deal because Tricky derives no immediate benefit from all this work except hopefully new sales to people who will weigh the improvements against other bodies and purchase new. It’s really quite generous. Worn with one of Shyla’s recent appliers for Fifty Linden Friday, it’s a gorgeous look top to bottom. (Please note I am wearing Catwa Clip’s newest mesh head, featured at the Mesh Body Addicts Fair, one that I have been raving about for the past couple days. Looks awesome with Shyla’s applier and fits the Belleza body absolutely perfectly.)

I wore this dress from Sukoshitosuto from the Mesh Body Addicts Fair, a darling number that can you around the grid and fits the Belleza Isis body perfectly. Many creators have foregone making stuff for Belleza bodies and I hope they get back to it because it’s a great body and as I understand, the designer pack is easier to use than others. Shoes from Equitum, which are featured at Tres Chic, fit the Belleza feet and add prettiness to my look.

I hunted down the pretty necklace Crashnoww has in his gacha at The Epiphany and wore AvaGardner Kungler’s newest earrings for the Cosmopolitan Room, glamorous and pretty with this look. Finally, Elikapeka Tiramisu’s ponytail for Shiny Shabby is a simple and pretty look for getting around the grid.

Ariadna Garrigus made this cute little shorts and top set so I had to get over to Baja Bay and enjoy the sunshine. With a texture-change HUD for the shorty shorts and the tied-in-back HUD, the outfit is a sexy look for the summer, especially accessorized with dangly earrings from AvaGardner Kungler for Shiny Shabby and a fun handbag from Aikea Reiko. These strappy heels are from the last Mesh Body Addicts event from Klari55a, who has been doing great fit-to-mesh-feet shoes for a while. They come with all sorts of color choice options on a HUD.

Otyebis has made this gorgeous skin for Shiny Shabby this round for the Catwa heads and it wore beautifully on the Sarah head. I added some dark dark green liner and tinted up the lips using the Catwa HUD. I love that Otyebis includes a body applier HUD for various bodies with the face applier. I was able to do a Maitreya push-up look and it went on fabulously. She also includes shorter looking lashes (an applier) with the skin but I opted for some on Catwa’s HUD. My darling hair is Bubbles Clawtooth’s offering for N21 this month, a long style pulled up in a bun with the option to purchase without or with the long bangs.

Hair: Clawtooth: The Sadness – Black and Gray Pack by Bubbles Clawtooth for Clawtooth, available at N21 *

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it–always.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

I have been thinking a lot more about serious issues lately because of the elections in the US and the tension with the police. I can only heed Gandhi’s words and face things with hope. SL provides a little joy and beauty and good distraction from all that, especially when you have great creations to show like this zigzag dress from ValentinaEvangelista for Shiny Shabby. Valentina always follows her own style and seems to find a joy in creating original new pieces with great colors (check out these zigzags) and sexy features. This top drops down so I wore an applier from one of Mariska Simons’ lingerie sets. Funky platform shoes from TomClaney include a great color-change HUD for different elements of the shoes. Aikea Reiko has created a lovely set of jewelry for Epiphany.

Ele Brandi has made this gorgeous applier for the Catwa mesh heads for Shiny Shabby. I tinted up the lips with the handy makeup HUD and found a great look to go with Mirja Mills’ beautiful hair for Hair Fair 2016. Mirja is unfailingly generous in her talents and time for events like Hair Fair. She is offering five beautiful styles for this year’s Hair Fair and a set of jewelry as a gift for any comers.

Hats seem to be Mirja’s theme this year and each hair comes with a beautifully-styled hat with additional colors offered via the hair tinting HUDs. You can color the hat, flowers, and band separately to create a beautiful look. The long hair with a straw hat is a perfect look for summer while the gorgeous curly ‘do (which looks an awful lot like my RL hair when it dries right I realized), is a great throwback look to the 70s but wonderful for today too.

Mirja tried her hand at a great looking mesh in two hats. This hat has a pretty hydrangea covering a low-tied bun.

And this mesh hat includes a cheerful striped hair band with pretty blousy flowers and is tied in the back with another ribbon (see my close up).

Finally, Mirja could not keep out her braided hair for Hair Fair, and this is a darling, side-tied look below a pretty wavy hat.

“It’s so hard to forget pain, but it’s even harder to remember sweetness. We have no scar to show for happiness. We learn so little from peace.” ~ Chuck Palahniuk

I liked this quote because it reminded me that carrying a grudge is easy. Forgiving and remembering goodness isn’t as easy. I try hard to remember the creators who send me items to review without expectation–their gifts of talent are one of the sweetnesses in my SL.

Something’s so sweet about a easy dress in the middle of the summer, something stylish and fashionable but not too tight or fussy and this dress from Marcopol Oh from Shiny Shabby fits the bill. Fit to the Maitreya body, It includes a little sexiness on the side. I paired it with a great necklace from Ors Quan for Shiny Shabby and high heels from Senzati0n Domenitzo.

GenesisLab has created this gorgeous mesh head for Shiny Shabby this month. I love that I am able to wear system eyes and don’t have to mess around with mesh eyes to wear it, I was also able edit my shape with the head stretch to change the look of the face. It did require some editing in the eye depth, and I had to mess with the lashes.

Especially sweet as well is when a creator donates a portion of their income from the creation of an item for a charity or someone’s need. Carina Larsen is donating a portion of her sales from the sale of her gorgeous hair at Hair Fair 2016 to Wigs for Kids. She includes this full, pulled back look with optional bangs.

She also offers an elegant updo with optional bang styles.

A very full-bodied, long style with a side part makes me look a little Jackie O. And she is offering duo-colored pigtails as a gift for those attending Hair Fair.